< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUPPLY CHAIN SPOTLIGHT • Plain / Printed Labels • Thermal Transfer Ribbons • Lasersheets • Fanfolded Labels • Barcode Labels Self adhesive labels and labelling Tel: 01482 506560 • Email: sales@datamarkuk.com • Website: www.datamarkuk.com a button touch. With real-time sensors, data points can be closely monitored and when any issues or anomalies arise, staff can be notified to rectify the situation, whether that be temperature variation during product distribution threatening freshness and safety of goods and rejections down the line, bottlenecks, or a piece of machinery no longer working at peak efficiency. For use, this collected data can be transmitted to cloud software platforms. Proving particularly useful, cloud tech is enabling real-time data exchange, helping important decisions to be made on inventory, transport, processing, and other procedures. The constant communication allowed means problems in the supply chain can be quickly addressed and choices made on accurate and updated data. To make use of data collected and sent to the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, enhancing predictive analytics, are being used, analysing data to present insights on how to optimise the chain, to give view of what adjustments could be made. Additionally the tech is bolstering supply chain management to offer a more accurate picture of the impact of certain actions. Improved inventory forecasts, information on when equipment will require maintenance, an understanding of how new machinery will affect how much one can produce in a certain time frame, and an indication of how much will be spent in different transportation routes are all examples of what can be provided with predictive analytics and AI. Moreover blockchain remains the big dog in improving fragmented supply chains and their standards on a number of levels, particularly for trust, traceability, food safety, reducing fraud, and speeding up recalls. Growing in use, with Gartner indicating that twenty per cent of the top global grocers will be using blockchain for food safety and traceability by 2025, the secure, immutable, and decentralised ledger is being employed to track transactions involving raw materials and finished goods through to the customer, and is a useful response to consumer demand for fully tracked chains. Appearing ideal for transparency and visibility in the supply chain, with the technology, product data - where a product was sourced, when, how, by who, storage conditions etc. - is permanently recorded in a shared ledger that cannot be altered, ensuring a product is precisely what it claims to be to instil confidence in consumers. As a transaction is only logged after validated by all relevant parties, blockchain also benefits from reduced human error. The importance of shared data, not just through blockchain, is expanding in food supply chains, which can be seen in a new study from the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) highlighting the potential of a breakthrough technology to promote information exchange across food industry supply chains that may support consumer 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 10:12 Page 3Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net SUPPLY CHAIN SPOTLIGHT confidence in food safety, origins, and authenticity. ‘Food Data Trust: A framework for information sharing’, examines innovation in the technology of ‘data trusts’ - a range of different data institutions, a general term for formal, often legally-based, structures for managing the sharing of data that protects privacy but enables benefits to be drawn from a collective approach. The researchers propose a ‘data trust framework’ under which businesses in the food supply chain, from growers to retailers, might safely share selective in- house data. It is thought this approach could significantly improve supply chain processes while also boosting consumer confidence about where foods come from, how sustainably they are sourced and whether they are what they say they are. Professor Simon Pearson, Professor of Agri-Food Technology at the University of Lincoln, said: “It’s easy to understand why businesses are reluctant to share such commercially sensitive information. No one wants to reveal their advantages to their competitors. But, in the data age, this reluctance is holding up much-needed advances. Sharing data in a secure and limited way can help to expose and tackle problems from incorrect labelling and widespread food fraud to tracing contaminated food, as well as speeding up product recalls. The data trust framework provides a structure under which data, including real-time and time-critical, ever-changing data, can be supplied to and held securely by independent and trusted repositories, with strong governance ensuring that data providers can trust that their data will only be used as specified while recipients of data and analysis can trust the accuracy and authenticity of what’s provided.” Furthermore, the growing pressure to increase supply chain sustainability needs to be addressed. Sustainable practices and sourcing not only benefit the planet, but companies as conscious consumers take this into account when making purchasing decisions. Every stage in the supply chain should be examined to reduce a product’s environmental footprint and waste. At farms for example there are opportunities to improve harvesting methods, packaging, and handling, such as proper crop rotation to combat the effects of soil erosion and using enterprise resource planning solutions to gain accurate crop yield analysis for decision making. In the factory and warehouse meanwhile, picking can be done on a first expiry first out basis, to avoid spoilage, IoT devices and smart technology can increase precision to minimise waste from giveaway, systems to decrease energy consumption can be implemented alongside renewable energy sources, and in transportation of goods route optimisation can be used to cut mileage and carbon emissions, and throughout the supply chain, waste and packaging can be repurposed and recycled and sustainable packaging used. © Shutterstock /aurielaki 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 10:12 Page 422 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Put a cap on it © Shutterstock /GOSPEL blue Put a cap on it 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:09 Page 1CAPS AND CLOSURES Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net 24 Á The continuing thirst for convenience has led to a massive spike in sales of bottled beverage products and on-the-go solutions such as pouches. However, sales of soda and other similarly sweetened beverages are on the decline, with better health awareness and government initiatives such as sugar taxes having a dramatic impact. In 2017, sales of bottled water outpaced soda for the first time in US history. By the end of 2024, the US bottled water market is expected to reach $22.226 billion. Of course, with this huge upsurge in the sale of bottled beverages comes the need for ever more innovative and functional caps and closures. The bottled water industry has long been the driving force for innovation in the caps and closures segment. The sports cap is inseparable from the image of a water bottle and is a design that is continually being built upon and improved. The shape of sports caps and other closures can pose a struggle to some, especially older consumers and those that have severe physical disabilities. As a rapidly expanding market segment, it’s increasingly important that manufacturers target these demographics. For caps and closures this means utilising a more ergonomic design, such as ease of opening and more comfortable grips. Coupled with this growing demand are rising concerns regarding product quality and, crucially, safety. The conversation surrounding bottled water and other beverages has been dominated over the last few years by the presence of Bisphenol A (or BPA, for short), which is used in the production of some plastic resins. The controversy stems from findings that the presence of BPA can disrupt hormones in children and be passed from pregnant mother to unborn child. Now more than ever, consumers are questioning the food and beverage products they buy, and that includes the packaging they’re contained in. Manufacturers are now turning to other options and using BPA-free as a selling point. Yet the other bug-bear faced by bottle caps is the issue of recyclability. If safety is the topmost concern of consumers then surely environmental comes next. The recyclability of plastic bottle tops has been a contentious topic for years. There was no clear answer on whether Caps and closures are both part of the problem and the keystone to the solution when it comes to the environmental footprint of bottles and pouches. 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:09 Page 224 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net CAPS AND CLOSURES bottle caps should be left on or off to be recycled, or if indeed they could even be recycled in the first place as some are comprised of both metal and plastic. The rules from place to place can differ wildly too, with local councils and governments having a different set of rules depending on where you are. The main issue here is that bottle caps are typically made from polypropylene, which has different properties and recyclability than that of the polyethylene terephthalate (or PET) of the bottles themselves. Along with their diminutive size, the different plastics make sorting bottle tops a difficult task. The long and short of it is that, yes, bottle caps can be recycled and remade. But there isn’t a clear, concise and singular approach. Efforts are being made to remedy this as the need to recycle more materials becomes ever important. No doubt bio- plastics and other such options will come to the fray in order to make bottle caps a more sustainable option. For the foreseeable future, though, plastic remains the material of choice for caps and closures and it’s easy to see why. Plastic closures are much more convenient because, unlike metal ones, they do not usually require the use of a secondary implement such as a bottle- or tin-opener to operate. This means, of course, that they are easier to use on the move. Moreover, many can be repeatedly re-sealed. But the big advantage for manufacturers is that © Shutterstock /alterfalter Measom Freer go Amber Metric Measom Freer, the prestige supplier of recyclable plastic bottles & caps, containers, measuring & fastening equipment and more, offers its Amber Metric range to the industry. The Amber Metric range is perfect for products that need to be protected from sunlight. The bottles shield their contents against photo degradation, making the Amber Metric range perfect for products containing essential oils, herbal tonics and liquid supplements. If you are looking for a protective bottle, this range should be at the top of your list. Available in fully recyclable amber PVC in sizes ranging from 30ml to 250ml with a wide variety of caps available including screw caps, dropper caps, bottle plugs, nozzle caps and spouted caps for more precise product application. Small to large orders welcome, all our products are manufactured in the UK with a minimum of 30% recycled content (PCR). To find out more, and to order any samples for product testing, visit www.measomfreer.co.uk. 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:09 Page 3Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net CAPS AND CLOSURES High-quality bag sealing machines from RM Sealers RM Sealers remain a leading British manufacturer and supplier of high-quality bag sealing Machines. These are proven bag closing machines, suitable for a wide range of industrial applications and may be bespoked to fulfil customer requirements. RM Sealers began its business life in 1969 under the name of RM Tool Company. Having built a formidable reputation as high quality mechanical and design engineers, the company was by Doboy in the early eighties to exclusively design and manufacture their BD range of Rotary Band Sealers for them. The Doboy bag sealing machines were subsequently rebranded under SIG and Bosch, and now are exclusively supplied through RM Sealers. The company offers a spare parts and maintenance service for all the machines which are still in use today under and branded under either the Doboy, SIG, Bosch, OK International or RM Sealers name, a testament to the longevity of its bag sealing machines. RM Sealers has more recently increased its market share by venturing into international and European countries such as Ireland, Iceland, Holland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, America and South Africa. As well as offering off the shelf bag sealing machines, the company can add bespoke options to suit any given client’s needs. These include: * Extra Height Clearance Kit. Bags requiring a seal between 50 and 100mm from the top edge. * Driven Infeed. Mainly used in conjunction with our vertical machines. Assists the operator to accurately and speedily feed bags through the machine * Emboss Coder. Fitted at the outfeed end of the machine where text and/or numbers are continuously embossed into the seal. * Bag Top Trimmer. If good presentation is important this will trim any excess from the top of the bag, parallel to the seal. * Digital speed option available To find out more, visit www.rmsealers.co.uk. widely-used plastics and polymers such as polypropylene and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are more malleable than metals and can therefore be put a greater variety of purposes. They are also more lightweight and easier to recycle, so manufacturers can pitch to the green market as well. The future of the caps and closures market will be driven by demand and sustainability. Where these twin concerns meet in the middle will result in the next-generation of innovative, attractive and functional closures which will boost shelf appeal and the overall environmental impact of a manufacturer. © Shutterstock /tchara 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:09 Page 426 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SLICING, DICING AND CUTTING Precision every time © Shutterstock /stockcreations Precision every time 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:11 Page 1Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net SLICING, DICING AND CUTTING The growing demand for pre-cut packaged foods and convenience meals containing sliced and diced foods have significantly increased need for cutting machines. In order to meet this demand, manufacturers have to turn to automation and other innovative options to maintain product integrity whilst also scaling up output. Consumers have come to expect uniformity in the food and beverage products they buy. A product they purchase from a store should be identical to one purchased in a different branch on the other side of the country. This is as true for the finished products and their packages, as the ingredients and goods inside. If there are varying sizes of meat or vegetables within a product mix, or if a blade isn’t adequately cutting, it risks contradicting the weight printed on its packaging. This can result in costly recalls, the fallout from which manufacturers can suffer from for years. Consistency of cuts and portion size is largely dependent on the sharpness of a cutting tool. Regular use renders any blade dull over time, and so it’s paramount that manufacturers regularly change, sharpen and replace their cutting tools. It’s as much to do with hygiene, with a dull blade more likely to harbour matter and risk contaminating other products. Dull blades can also damage products, crushing, denting or bruising them. In any case, a manufacturer can be left with entire batches compromised and/or an expensive clean-up bill. Better to regularly replace and service cutting tools than risk extended periods of downtime. Hygiene is critical right across the supply chain but is of particular concern in the production line where products are directly exposed to conveyor belts, weighers and, of course, The slicing, dicing and cutting industry needs to be consistent at all times, never deviating from its strict processing homogeneity. So much depends upon slicing and cutting machines and equipment performing their duty within strict parameters. 28 Á 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:12 Page 228 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SLICING, DICING AND CUTTING cutting tools. As we’ve already explored, the tools themselves must meet stringent hygiene levels, but so too does the surface on which the foods are placed and the cuts are made. Constant cutting will inevitably lead to dullness of the blade, which in turn can result in less than ideal precision for food products, while rendering others completely unsuitable for the customer. A blunt blade will leave ragged edges which can lead to the product, particularly meat, spoiling. This can result in it becoming unstable or unsafe during distribution, something that might only be discovered by the end user. Likewise, a blunting blade will likely retain residue and matter from the previous products which will then become entrenched in others, allowing for contaminates to spread with greater ease. It’s something as simple as ensuring equipment is at its best, but the consequences otherwise can result in an entire batch deemed unsuitable for sale or may even result in a recall at a later stage. It comes at the cost of a company’s profits and its time, not to mention its reputation. Given the constraints of any given technology, there is only so far a process can be streamlined, meaning a producer is only able to become efficient and time effective to a certain point. By the same rationing, adopting equipment designed to minimise wasted time and damaged goods is the next logical step. Ultrasonic slicing might be widely used across the industry for use with foods of a sticky, delicate or soft structure, but extension across more food types is combatting yield loss and boosting profit. Many food equipment manufacturers and 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:12 Page 3Food & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net SLICING, DICING AND CUTTING retailers are adopting ultrasonic slicers and cutters, and the uptake among producers is rising. The advantages over traditional blades extend beyond the obvious boon to hygiene, with greater precision, functionality and reliability. Robots have become commonplace on the factory floor and production line, providing untold benefits to industry and consumer alike. In fact, a survey undertaken by The International Federation of Robotics identified ten reasons why manufactures should invest in robots. Some of the benefits include reducing operating costs, improving quality and consistency and reducing material waste as well as increasing yield. In a slicing, dicing and cutting context, robotic advancement has come in leaps and bounds, replacing human workers on the production line altogether. They come with numerous benefits, no least in offering a more time-vaing solution, in that they have none of the requirements of their human counterparts. Of course, robots will have to be washed and service like any other piece of processing equipment. With the startling development of robots, the human workforce is likely to further decrease. For the slicing, dicing and cutting industry, imagine the speed, efficiency and safety of a robot workforce with the ability to handle food with minimal risk to product integrity, in an environment that is more hygienic and more cost effective. As efficiency and hygiene are the heart of this industry, robotics and advanced cutting equipment are ensuring the changeover from traditional processing machines to more modern fare goes smoothly. © Shutterstock /Evgeniy Kalinovskiy © Shutterstock /Sergey Ryzhov © Shutterstock /Mark Agnor 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 26/04/2021 12:12 Page 4Next >